Jonah – Induction goes well!

Forewarning! Successful Hypnobabies program was used in the following birth story, but there is mention of *P* in one instance when my program was not in use. I think my story though will be helpful to those facing less than ideal situations surrounding their birth. We had no natural birth midwives in this area (I interviewed the one in this area who had fully medicated births), and no birthing centers.
Without further adieu:
I had a scheduled induction for April 9, at 8AM. I was 10 days overdue and my OB’s office was refusing to go longer, though I guess I could have fought them. I almost skipped my induction. I loathed the very idea.

At 37.5 weeks I had prodromal labor, with 4 hours of pressure waves that came on at 2-3 minute intervals and 1 minute a piece. For some reason they fizzled out. I had so many symptoms that said to me “this night is it.” I had unusual energy and nesting for a couple days. My body was flushing itself out an hour after the first pressure wave woke me up. I found out at my OB appt that I had made it to 3cm/50% effaced. We were so sure I’d go early then. There was at least 2 more times that my birthing day seemed imminent with patterned pressure waves, but the last time at 41 weeks I went to L&D and found I was at 4cm/80%, but again my pressure waves fizzled and I elected to go home.

I tried everything from big wheel riding and sliding/ swinging at the park, walking to intimate things, and castor oil to no avail. I also used the “Baby come Out” track, as well as getting a start on Birthing Day Affirmations, and Easy First Stage tracks.
Up until the night before my induction I was still unsure if I was going to show for it. Using my hypnosis to do some soul searching and baby communicating, I found my peace with going to the induction, and that being the right road to take at this point. One of the tracks, I think “Baby Come Out” has you ask the baby if there is anything or any reason they weren’t coming out or it wasn’t time. I had an intuitive feeling that for some reason my body was sticking at a certain point, and it was time to help. April 9 was chosen to be my baby’s birthing day, and I told him he and I would be just fine but we needed a little help.
I checked in at 745am but my room wasn’t done until 830AM. Lots of babies all poured in that night/morning… 15+ naturally occuring labors.

I got a chance to chat with the nurses in the entry way though and inquired about requesting a nurse who is partial to and experienced with natural births. One sweet lady “looked” into it for me. She apparently knew who the right person to ask, because despite the nuttiness of the labor floor I got what had to be the best nurse on the floor. My OB and nurse were very respectful of my Hypnobabies needs and my birth plan hopes.
I met the doc by 9am to discuss the plan and we were going to break my water and go from there, as soon as they were done getting me set up. Well, the OB went MIA until 1130AM in which I had the AROM. There was merconium staining, but not too bad. By 2pm I hadn’t made a lick of progress despite contractions, which were consistant but 10 minutes apart.
At 2:00pm we agreed to start a low dose of pit. It came on hard and fast then. I did really good using my hypnosis stuff, and I think a lot of nurses were impressed. They did best to keep quiet and not disturb me. It was mainly just Alan and I, who was my rock, petting me and whispering relaxation cues. I would even smile and sometimes have a giddy laugh between waves as I was so excited to feel my baby coming to me.
Sometime after though- maybe 1.5-2 hours, I hit transition. I thought my blood sugar was crashing (which it may have a bit since you don’t get to eat much), though they assured me it was just transition symptoms. Shakey, disoriented, weak, panic: It was like I sat out of a deep deep relaxation/hypnosis in a frenzy. I wanted just a “little something” in my IV to take the edge off.

(Editors note: A few different simultaneous distractions and mom looses focus – soon nurse will come back and help her get re-focused. If birth partner had stayed calm, it may have helped mom stay calm.)

At the same time I was htting transition, the BP cuff kept getting weird readings and beeping loudly. It broke my concentration, and Alan got pissed off that it was taking so long to come and fix, and that it kept happening, and thus I became very unrelaxed. My nurse was busy delivering next door and so I got some fill in, loud, obnoxious nurse. I freaked, Alan freaked because he can’t handle seeing me in distress and be powerless to fix it.
Lucky my nurse came back when she did. I was screaming for help and that I couldn’t do it, and please give me just a “little” something in my IV to help me relax.
Gloria, RN, said, first we need to check you and see if you are ready to push, and second of all, OB will NOT give you anything in your IV, and thirdly, you CAN do this. And oh, by the way, you are 9cm. Gloria was there for me at just the right time in just the right way. Well, I put on my “pushing baby out” hypnosis CD, and went right back into my hypnosis, and found it felt better to push just a little during my pressure waves. I begged for a popsicle incase my sugar was low, which I got, and between pressure waves and starting to push, I got a bite of popsicle. Alan kept them coming, and for some reason it just seemed to be a little piece of heaven.

I’d just go limp and completely relaxed in between pushing sensations. Deeper and deeper…

I pushed him out fast and hard and yes, that second for shoulders and head, I screamed one short loud scream. This is the only instant I’d deem as pain, and I was not using my hypnobabies at this point. I was unprepared for him to come out so fast! I didn’t even have time to think or “relax”. But it was no big deal… it was quick.

I delivered at 4:44pm, so not even 2.5 hours after true labor started. He weighs 6#11oz, and was 20″ long. He has smokey blue eyes, and light brown hair.
The sensations I had (even with the extremely powerful pitocin induced pressure waves, which also don’t give you the benefit of your body’s natural rest and recover time between stages) I’d describe as intense and powerful feelings. I know pain, and this was NOT pain.

It was incredible and a truly an amazing birth experience. I can’t tell you how many random nurses and attendants saw my sign on the door and came to ask me questions about my birth later and if Hypnobabies worked. Of course I tell them yes and gladly share the happy details. (but I admittedly feel a little embarrassed at my momentary lapse during transition.) I hoped to have the perfect tale to tell in the end.

But all in all, I managed to have pretty much my ideal birth with what I was given to work with. I received so many compliments on how bright eyed, alert, healthy, and well tempered my little one is and was at birth. I felt great afterwards. I am having a lovely baby moon this go around, compared to my first. I avoided the broken coccyx that I had with my first “electively induced” colicky baby girl. I remember all the wonderful details of my birth and look at them fondly instead of what most people view as horror.
I thought this would be my last baby, but now I dream of having my ideal completely painless, and hopefully home birth in the future. (although I’d have to go out of state to find that option if I wanted an attendant)